9 month check list

As of Matthew's nine month birthday he is...

clapping
waving
standing (with support)
trying to crawl
walking (with support)
playing
laughing
being the sweetest baby alive!!!

He is eating about 8-12 ounces of baby food (or Ms. Cookie's cookin') for lunch and 12 ounces of baby food at dinner. Here is a list of some of his favorites...
sweet potatoes
carrots
green beans
sweet peas
squash
chicken with sweet potatoes
mangoes
bananas
applesauce
pears
mixed fruit
cereals
apples and blueberries
apples and cherries
pears and raspberries

I have also made the decision to wean him from the breast. With my job and all of the stress I feel that it is better for him to move on. He is taking to the change rather well. I still breastfeed before I give him his bottle so he gets the best of both worlds. The GI doctor told me to try regular whole milk and he seems to respond well to that so I am giving him a couple of 4 ounce bottles a week right now. Dr. Goosby (his pediatrician) would like for him to be on 2% milk instead of whole milk so I am not sure which one to use. Dr. Goosby also suggested we try ice cream.

He doesn't care for the mixed meats and veggies though. I am slowly getting him used to them.

Now for the BIG news. Today...Matthew weighed 15 pounds 11 ounces which is a 26 ounce gain since August 30th!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy that he seems to be gaining and thriving a little better now.

Have a great evening and enjoy the 9 month pictures below. He has a cold and does not feel very well, so they did not turn out very well. Hopefully this weekend I can get some better pictures and post them later.

Three Things that Every Parent Should Teach Their Child

Being a teacher...I've seen it all but these three sum it up for what every parent should be teaching his/her child.

1. Show Respect
2. Make Me Proud
3. Use Your Manners

Happy Hopping!!!

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Special thanks to Shoplet.com-Purell Hand Sanitizers for sponsoring this blog hop.

The sweetest little BAMA fan in the world!!!

OK...OK...I know that pushing Matthew to root for Alabama could result in the worst possible scenario...him being an AUBURN fan!!!!! (sorry Tia Kay Kay but I honestly can't stand the thought...he he) I had to get his Alabama shirt out today because they were playing the Arkansas Hogs. Kelly over at www.kellyskornerblog.com posts every week about Harper (her little girl) and their obsession of Arkansas. She talked some smack last week about today's game. That fired me up so I had to get my Bama gear out.

We sit down to eat some lunch and get ready for the game and little MW just got so happy and started showing me some personality.

I wish he hadn't moved...this picture would have been great!!!

ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!

See his teeth (yes, the other bottom front tooth is coming in)!!!

Life is good!!

Clap for BAMA!!!

This face is priceless!!! What in the world was he thinking about??

Love IT!!! So sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get those Wildcats!!!

Let's just hope that Alabama can keep up with the wins!!! They have a tough schedule this year.

Roll Tide Roll!!!

All of a sudden...

Matthew is fitting into size 12 month PJs!!! I can't believe it...in fact if I didn't put these little pajama's on him tonight he might not get very much wear out of them. I remember when I got this little outfit. We had just got a package from Tia Kay Kay when we were in the hospital the day or so after I had Matthew. I asked Seth to bring the package to the hospital because I wanted to open the present. When I opened it...I thought...OH MY those PJs are sooooo big. I couldn't imagine that Matthew could have ever fit into them by 12 months especially now that he has so much trouble gaining weight. Well, here is the proof that he is wearing them and they fit him just fine.












Thanks Tia for getting that for us!!!

Glee

OK...I have found my new favorite TV show!!! GLEE....is soooo good. Although our high school didn't have a Glee club I still can relate being in the band. I hope they don't move the show to Tuesday nights because that is the night I teach my college class. Last night we met at Applebee's before my class and this is the picture I took of Matthew when he was sitting in his high chair. I can't believe how old he looks...this picture is almost like seeing into the future.



Hope you have a great evening!!!

More Pictures

I know...Tia Kay Kay...pick yourself up off the floor I am about to post two days in a row with fresh pics of little M!!!!

We went to church today and I think Matthew is having some stomach issues because he seems to be having really loose stools. I don't know if it is the formula because we are primarily on formula now or if it is the little bit of whole milk I am mixing with his cereal at night. He does seem in good spirits though and he is eating A LOT for dinner. Not much at lunch though. We'll see?? Anyway, he was excellent in the nursery today. They said that he just played and played then got very tired and was a little grumpy until I got there to pick him up. He basically fell into my arms which is nice that he wanted to be with me. =)

Anyway, here are some pictures for you to enjoy from when we were getting his PJs on tonight. He loves to stand up and so I though we should get some nice shots of him standing at his dresser.











Also, here is a picture of his first tooth that is still just peeking through...I don't know when that tooth will ever come on in but I am ready!!!

Bath time

Today was a great day!!! We got to stay at home in our PJs until noon and then tonight went to BJs to get some diapers and other baby stuff. Matthew behaved himself very well!!!! When we got home I gave him a bath and he was playing with a new bath toy that Sonny's (our favorite BBQ joint) gave him. I guess they are starting to give away little prizes...like a happy meal. Seth and I joked that the Sonny's people know him better than his own grandparents. We love to eat at Sonny's. Enjoy the pictures!!!











I really don't understand it??? It seems like Matthew rarely smiles for pictures anymore. No matter what I do to try to make him smile he just seems to sit there and look at me like I am crazy. He really is a happy boy...I hope??

Zoey

I forgot to mention to remember Zoey in your prayers tonight. She is undergoing some pretty harsh tests tomorrow and I know her mom and dad need God's support through all of this stress.

Please go ahead and read my post below this I just wanted to remind everyone about little Z!!!

Safe in my Play Yard

This afternoon when we got home for the evening I put Matthew in his Play Yard for a while. Well typical Matthew wanted to be held but I want him to be more independent (not just at Ms. Cookie's which he could play for hours there without anyone holding him)...well, I had the great idea to put the Learn and Groove table in the play yard so if he fell he would fall on something soft and not our hard tile. Well he played with the music table for about 30 minutes and when he finally fell on his bottom he kept playing with another toy I have in there. He did such a good job and I am so proud of him. Tonight he didn't hardly cry at all. We played on the floor and he loves pulling himself up to standing all the time. I sit him down and before I know it he is pulling up on my shirt trying to stand. Every time I put him on his tummy to try to encourage him to crawl he just flops around and cries. Is it really possible that he walk without crawling first???








After our floor time I put him in his high chair for a snack. He wasn't interested in eating anything but he loved playing with a few toys. I rolled the high chair over next to the couch and he just played and played...he would drop all the toys on the floor and I would pick them up and put them back on the tray and then he would drop them all again and again..(I think he was doing it on purpose...HA!!) Then he just fell asleep right there sitting up in his chair. His head slowly fell down to the tray and he ended up looking like this...





I guess we are back on the Zantac twice a day for now. Last night he had a very hard time going to sleep...for the first time since he was like a 2 months old he cried for about 15 minutes before he went to sleep. Tonight before I gave him a bath he cried VERY LOUD every time I put him on his back. I ended up giving him the Zantac and he stopped crying immediately. So we are going to switch from the one dose in the morning to the one dose at night. We will start that on Monday so for a few days he will be getting the regular 2 times a day.

Right now he is sleeping soundly and as precious as ever. What a sweet angel!!!

Sweet Little Zoey

Hi everyone...I know I know it is late tonight but I need to post a prayer request. Zoey a friend of mine little girl is having some issues with her iron levels. She is going to have some major tests done this week and will have to be asleep for the procedures. She is only about 20 months and is the sweetest little girl!!! Please pray for her Thursday as she goes through all of the ordeal.



Here is a picture of her and Matthew back in July.

Also we have a family member that is need of some guidance in his life right now. I can't go into much detail because it is a private matter but he has some major problems with drugs and needs our prayers very much. Please keep him in your prayers. I hope that he finds his plan from GOD.

On another note...Matthew gained 8 ounces yesterday at his doctors appointment. It wasn't the pound I was hoping for but a gain is a gain. The doctor said that we could start feeding him whole milk to see how his body will adjust. So far...no diarrhea or other reactions. He had 4 ounces last night and loved every sip of it. Well I am heading to bed now. Have a great night!!!

Can I Get a Witness??

We went to church today and it was a great service. Every year we have something called spirit Sunday which is marks the beginning of the new church year. This year our theme was "I am a Witness".

They always have wonderful music so we let Matthew sit out in the church with us. He got a little bit restless about half way through the service so I had to take him out. Our church just completed a new Christian Arts and Education wing where they have a new nursery so I took in there and changed his diaper and we played with all the new toys and the other baby that was in there. He had a great time.

After church we came home and my cold took a turn for the worse. I took a long nap and woke up feeling very weak. Matthew wanted me to hold him so bad and it was all I could do to pick him up...he is getting soooo heavy. After taking Tylenol I felt much better. I hope that this cold goes away quickly.

Tomorrow night I will post an update on Matthew's weight. He has a doctor's appointment in the morning with the GI doctor....keeping my fingers crossed!!!

TGIF

Tonight we went to TGI Friday's. We got this coupon for 1 free entree under 15.00 but when we got there they said that they were not accepting them so we just ordered cheap. I had the Sausage and Chicken Penne and Seth got the Jack Daniels burger. Matthew got to sit in the high chair tonight and he loved it. I have got to start taking my camera everywhere I go because that would have made a great picture.

For the past 3 or 4 months Matthew has been out of routine with his eating. I can't seem to get him on a stable routine and I think that is some of the reason why my milk seems to be drying up. Today I actually had to wake him up this morning at around 8:45, I think he would have slept a lot longer because when I went in his room he didn't budge and was sound asleep until I started rubbing his back. He breastfed very well. At about 10:00 I fed him some cereal with formula and he ate alot of that and really seemed to like it. Around 12:15 he seemed hungry so I fed him some sweet peas but it was like I was stuffing down his throat because he didn't seem to want to eat. I nursed him right after that but he was falling asleep and I don't think he actually got very much. I tried to give him a bottle of formula but he wouldn't take that either so around 1:00 I just put him down for a nap since he was sleeping anyway. During his nap Seth and I laid down for a nap as well. It is so nice that Matthew is finally napping long enough for us to get some much needed rest during the day. WE ALL SLEPT...GET THIS...TIL 4:00!!! I thought for sure that he would be starving so when I went in to wake him up I tried to nurse him but he didn't want any of that. I got a bottle of formula and he refused that too. The bottle had 8 ounces in it from a liquid sample that the hospital gave me that would go bad if I didn't use it up tonight but he refused it. I kept trying to get him to take it and finally around 6:00 he ate ALL 8 OUNCES!!! and get this...he only spit up a little bit. So then...leading us to TGIF...we went to eat. He got to sit in one of those wooden high chairs and get this...he ate 4 ounces of carrots, 4 ounces of blueberries and apples and then 3 and 1/2 ounces of a banana pudding baby food desert. He looked like he was going to explode! HA!! We got home and he was very happy taking a bath and he just played and played in the water then he nursed for about 15 minutes and went to bed.

I just wish I could get him on a set schedule because he never follows one from day to day. That means that at any moment he could be hungry and I won't have a way to feed him. It is very frustrating.

Tonight I will leave you with a couple of pictures. One from when he was less than one week old and the other one from yesterday so you can see how much he has changed. I love my little angel!!!!

What's new with Matthew

This week I forgot to mention that Matthew has started clapping along to music when he is at Ms. Cookie's during the day. I am so glad to hear that the babies have a music time during the day so they can develop that part of their brain. That is obviously very important to me since music has been a huge part of my entire life.

Here is a video of him clapping!!!

Have a great night!!!

Pictures for Tia Kay Kay

Here are some pictures for Matthew's Tia. He isn't smiling in a single one of them though.

Matthew is finally getting over his cold. Although he still seems congested sometimes I think he is slowly getting better. His little tooth just seemed to stop coming in. I thought that once you saw a tooth break the skin that it would come on up in a day or so but that didn't happen. He doesn't seem as grumpy so maybe he is taking a break from that for a while.

On another note, it looks as if we are going to start feeding Matthew more formula. I am going to see what happens this weekend because who knows??? He might start eating and nursing and get my milk supply back up and running. Since he was sick I don't think that he had a very large appetite so maybe he is getting over his cold.

I take him back to the GI doctor on Monday for a checkup. Let's keep our fingers crossed about his weight gain!!

I better get to bed tonight. I can't wait until I get to spend the whole day with my little munchkin!! What a wonderful job I have being a mom!!!!!!!

Good night!

It's a bird...It's a plane...It's a Mozart???

Tuesday night is my night to teach my Music class at the local University. Honestly, I have so much fun because unlike my day job the college class is much more laid back and less stressful. When I walk in to teach my class the staff always greets me with lots of warmth and respect. In fact one time as I was getting ready for a class the receptionist came in to make sure that I didn't need anything!!! What a concept?!?!? Showing respect!!!

At my school during the day it always seems like someone is always looking to make sure that I am not being 'lazy'. Right now I am so frustrated with my job...I haven't really complained (eh hum) I mean talked about it on my blog because I wanted to keep this all about Matthew but after the past week and a half I want to pull my hair out. I really don't think that the school district realizes how impossible our schedules are??? I mean I have 14 classes at my 'home' school and the other school I travel to once a week I have 5. Plus until today I was being asked to tutor for an hour every morning I was at my 'home' school which added another 4 hours to my actual music classes. Now I am having to administer some kind of test called FAIR (reading) to the first grade students for an hour a day instead of the tutoring.

I just wish to heaven above that I could just stay at home with my little Matthew FOREVER. Now...all my time is over with him and I feel lost in my job away from him. Right now we are going through another dry spell (so to speak) with his eating habits. Ms. Cookie says that he eats really well during the day at 'school' but when he gets home he is not interested in eating...breastfeeding??...formula??...baby food???...he is even turning away the peach cobbler dessert!!!!! I hope and pray to GOD that this is just because he has a runny nose and is a little sick. I don't know how much more stress my breastfeeding can take before I start to dry up. Tonight I had to supplement the last feeding with formula because I feel like I ran out of milk for him. I am so disappointed that I might have to stop nursing just because of my stinkin' stressful job!!!!!!!!!! Of all the reasons to have to quit nursing...jeezz!!

On a happier note, it is already WEDNESDAY so we are half way to the weekend so I can spend every minute loving on my little froggie!!!

As for the random title?!??!?!?!! It fits with my life during this school year so far!!

GOOD NIGHT!

OK..OK..No pictures again

Hi again...tonight I do not have any pictures to upload yet again. For one thing my Picasa web album is getting full because I use the Google online storage as a backup for all my pictures of Matthew. I just started a Snapfish account tonight so maybe I have eliminated the problem.

Matthew has been sick the last couple of days. He doesn't seem interested in eating as much. I hope Ms. Cookie will get him back on track this week because he has an appointment with the GI doc again on Sept. 14 (next Monday) and he needs to have gained lots and lots of weight so the doctor doesn't see the need to do the upper GI test on him. Remember he went a month without gaining a single ounce so he needs to have gained at least a pound since he went to see Dr. Goosby a couple of weeks ago. I am hoping for 15 pounds by next Monday which would be about a pound since two weeks ago on Aug 26. It would be great if he gains even more though.

His tooth is peeking through even more now...I do not feel a difference when he nurses though. I thought that I would feel a change but so far he hasn't bit me or anything.

Well I better go for tonight...I am already tired and need to get to sleep for my long week at work (even though it is a shorter one being away from Matthew for even one day makes it seem long).

Have a good night!!!

Long Weekend

Hi everyone!!! I know that it has been a while since I posted. I told myself that when I start back to school I wouldn't stop posting every day but I did. Hopefully I will be able to start posting more now that we are getting into the swing of things.

On Friday after school...we decided to go to Naples to visit my FIL who was flying in from a sabbatical to perform a wedding. We had lots of fun and Matthew loved getting into the swimming pool again. I decided to not take my camera or computer and take a much needed break from my life. Although we do have a nice LONG weekend we decided to come back today so we could enjoy our day off at home.

Matthew has a little cold and he is still cutting his tooth so he has been rather grumpy at times. He has been drooling so much that Ms. Cookie even had to change him the other day. I hope that the tooth comes in more quickly in the coming week. Although we put him on his stomach and try to get him to crawl he always seems to want to stand up and walk (with our help of course)...I really think he might walk before he crawls. He is really starting to come out of his shell and enjoy playing with his toys, reading his books, and eat more of the solids at each sitting. Right now he eats somewhere between 2 and 3 four ounce jars of baby food each night. He is still eating and loving Ms. Cookie's food for lunch. I have still be able to continue to breastfeed although I feel that my pumping sessions during the day are getting less and less. I always feed him when he gets up in the morning, once before I drop him off and leave at Ms. Cookie's house, pump at 11:30 a.m., once when I pick him up in the afternoon at around 3:30. Then in the evening I feed him when we get home at around 4:30 or 5 (usually because he eats quickly at Ms. Cookie's)...then we eat dinner and he has solids usually 1 or 2 veggies and a fruit or baby dessert. Sometimes he wants to nurse again around 7:30 or 8 and then he nurses again around 9:30 or 10 for bedtime. At Ms. Cookie's he usually eats 1 bottle of breastmilk (when I have a full bottle) and 1 bottle of formula. He does eat 2 bottles of formula on days that I didn't have a full bottle of breastmilk pumped. So far I am very proud of myself for being able to continue the nursing. It has been hard because my body has taken a while to get adjusted to the new schedule but the last few days I have seen a difference in my milk production.

Tomorrow I am going to post some more pictures of him so check back for more!!!

Have a great night!!!